2014 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Sunday Roundup: Smith, Broyles, Johnson

July 6th, 2014 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith entered the league out of the University of Maryland with high upside and explosive play-making ability, but he was still very raw. He struggled with drops in training camp prior to his rookie season in 2011, but he was given a chance to start against the Rams in Week 3 of that year when Lee Evans went down with an injury. In the first quarter in St. Louis, Smith recorded the first three receptions of his pro career; they all went for touchdowns.

Since then, even if Smith has not been the team’s No. 1 wideout by name, he has been the receiving threat that has garnered the most attention from opposing defenses. He has quietly become one of the premier deep threats in the game, but, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, he enters his contract season with very little fanfare. The Ravens would like to extend his contract, but no progress has been made on that front as of yet. Although new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak does not run a pure West Coast offense–which means that Joe Flacco will still have a chance to take a few deep shots per game to burners like Smith and Jacoby Jones–Smith must become a more reliable short and intermediate route runner in order to thrive and earn a contract on par with some of the better receivers in the league. As Florio notes, Smith has every reason to emerge as one of the better wideouts in the game in 2014, and, given his work ethic and the strides he has made thus far, it would be foolish to bet against him.

Now for some more notes from around the league:

Speaking of Smith and the Ravens‘ receiving corps, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com writes that, although the top four receivers are set–Torrey Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Marlon Brown, and Jones–the battle among the remaining wideouts will be an intense one. Seventh-round pick Michael Campanaro could emerge as a reliable slot receiver, the team has been impressed with undrafted find Jeremy Butler, and veterans like Deonte Thompson and LaQuan Williams will also have a shot.
Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer writes that, despite losing Smith Sr. and Jordan Gross, the Panthers‘ leadership void can be adequately filled by franchise cornerstones like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, who have slowly developed into locker room leaders.
Free agent offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie is not only looking for a job, but he probably needs one, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Despite having made tens of millions of dollars in the league, McKinnie has not managed his money wisely and recently had his car repossessed.
Ryan Broyles, who is attempting to secure a spot as the Lions‘ primary slot receiver, has made good progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, writes Carlos Monarrez of The Detroit Free Press.
Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News takes a crack at the Lions‘ starting lineups for 2014, and he also notes that the competitions at right tackle, strongside linebacker, and kicker will be ones to watch.
In a column for CBSSports.com, and in the wake of an arbitrator’s ruling in Jimmy Graham‘s grievance case, recently-retired tight end Tony Gonzalez argues that players should be paid based on their production rather than their position.
The NFL announced the suspensions of Dion Jordan and Rokevious Watkins on Friday, which has left some to wonder why there has not been an official announcement regarding Eagles‘ right tackle Lane Johnson‘s suspension. Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com explains the league’s process when a player tests positive for a banned substance and posits that Johnson is still going through that process.

Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars

July 6th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

Notable signings:

Zane Beadles (G): Five years, $30MM. $9.475MM guaranteed.
Red Bryant (DE): Four years, $19MM. $4.725MM guaranteed.
Toby Gerhart (RB): Three years, $10.5MM. $4.5MM guaranteed.
Chad Henne (QB): Two years, $8MM. $4.5MM guaranteed.
Chris Clemons (DE): Four years, $17.5MM. $4.475MM guaranteed.
Ziggy Hood (DT): Four years, $16MM. $4MM guaranteed.
Dekoda Watson (OLB): Three years, $6.25MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
Clay Harbor (TE): Two years, $3MM. $1.45MM guaranteed.
Cameron Bradfield (OT): Two years, $3MM. $1.225MM guaranteed.
Sherrod Martin (S): One year, $780K. $100K guaranteed.
Tandon Doss (WR): Two years, $1.505MM. $65K guaranteed.
Will Blackmon (CB): Two years, $2.125MM. $50K guaranteed.

Notable losses:

Russell Allen (LB): Released; Retired due to injury
Stephen Burton (WR): Retired
Delone Carter (RB): Waived
Brandon Deaderick (DT)
Jeremy Ebert (WR): Waived
Justin Forsett (RB): Released
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB)
Kyle Love (DT)
Brad Meester (C): Retired
Drake Nevis (DL): Waived
Danny Noble (TE): Waived
Uche Nwaneri (G): Released
Will Rackley (OL): Waived
Allen Reisner (TE)

Trades:

Acquired a sixth-round pick (No. 205) and a conditional 2015 pick from the 49ers in exchange for Blaine Gabbert. 2015 pick (unknown round) changes hands if Gabbert starts eight or more games for the Niners in 2014.
Acquired a second-round pick (No. 61) from the 49ers in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 70) and a fifth-round pick (No. 150).
Acquired a third-round pick (No. 93) from the Patriots in exchange for a fourth-round pick (No. 105) and a sixth-round pick (No. 179).

Draft picks:

Blake Bortles, QB, UCF (1.3): Signed
Marqise Lee, WR, USC (2.39)
Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State (2.61): Signed
Brandon Linder, G, Miami (FL) (3.93): Signed
Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma (4.114): Signed
Telvin Smith, LB, Florida State (5.144): Signed
Chris Smith, DE, Arkansas (5.159): Signed
Luke Bowanko, C, Virginia (6.205): Signed
Storm Johnson, RB, UCF (7.222): Signed

Other:

Signed Alex Mack to a five-year, $42MM offer sheet, which was matched by the Browns.
Re-signed Jason Babin after he voided his contract, then later released him.
Have discussed extension for Cecil Shorts.
Claimed Bradie Ewing off waivers.
Signed 17 rookie free agents after the draft.

As our Luke Adams pointed out yesterday, the Jaguars are probably at least a year or two away from making a legitimate run at the AFC South, which the Colts appear to have firmly in hand in 2014. Nonetheless, there is a positive vibe surrounding second-year head coach Gus Bradley, and the Jags acquired a number of solid veterans on both sides of the ball in free agency in an attempt to remain competitive as they continue to build for the long-term.

Former Broncos left guard Zane Beadles, who was given a lucrative five-year, $30MM deal, should add stability along the interior of the offensive line. Beadles’ best season came in 2012, when he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after yielding just one sack and finishing 17th out of 81 eligible guards according to Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) advanced metrics (subscription required). One concern is that, outside of that 2012 campaign, Beadles has not performed especially well by PFF’s standards in any of his other three seasons in the league, and the few number of sacks he allowed in 2012 and 2013 can be attributed, at least in part, to Peyton Manning‘s quick release. However, Beadles is one of those players whose game film often belies his next-level analytics, and although Jacksonville may have overpaid for him, he represents a significant upgrade over Will Rackley, who started 11 games at left guard for the club in 2013.

In the offensive backfield, the team parted ways with Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the most dynamic playmakers in Jacksonville’s brief history, and replaced him with former Viking Toby Gerhart. Gerhart has only served as a spot starter and change-of-pace back for Minnesota, but the Jaguars apparently liked the former Heisman finalist enough to hand him a three-year, $10.5MM contract and a starting role. Gerhart certainly has talent, and it was probably time to move on from Jones-Drew, but Gerhart’s lack of a track record does create an element of unease. However, seventh-round pick Storm Johnson from the University of Central Florida is a strong runner with quick feet and could be a late-round steal for the club.

The Jaguars also targeted defensive help in free agency. Red Bryant, an accomplished run-stopper, will team with pass rushers Chris Clemons and Dekoda Watson to form a stronger front-seven. The team’s coaching staff believes that Watson has “unique pass-rushing skills” and envision him as the “Otto” linebacker in Bradley’s defensive scheme. Clemons had posted at least 11 sacks in each of his first three seasons in Seattle before dropping off last season as he recovered from a torn ACL. Even at age 32, however, a healthy Clemons should be able to get to the quarterback fairly frequently, and the team expects continued improvement from 2012 second-round pick Andre Branch. In short, then, the team’s pass rush will not make opposing signal-callers lose much sleep, but it should still be more effective than it was in recent seasons. This is not to mention the addition of former Steelers’ mainstay Ziggy Hood, who has struggled in the past several years but who still offers some limited upside.

Of course, the NFL is becoming increasingly driven by the passing game, and, to that end, the club traded former first-round pick and abject disappointment Blaine Gabbert to the 49ers and selected Blake Bortles with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. However, the club learned from its mistakes with Gabbert, and veteran Chad Henne, who has performed as well as could be expected for the Jaguars, was re-signed in order to give Bortles some time to learn without being thrown into the fire from day one.

After drafting Bortles, the Jaguars selected talented receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson with their two second-round picks. In any other year, Lee and Robinson might have been first-round selections, but with the historically deep wide receiver class this year, Jacksonville got a little lucky. Although the members of the team’s receiving corps outside of the oft-overlooked Cecil Shorts and tight end Marcedes Lewis do not have an extensive track record, they do have explosive talent. Shorts, Lee, Robinson, and Lewis will combine with Ace Sanders and Denard Robinson to form a young and intriguing unit for Henne and Bortles.

Again, the Jags will likely not compete for the playoffs this year, but the foundations are being laid properly. They have made an effort to beef up their offensive and defensive fronts, and they have surrounded their quarterback of the future with plenty of high-upside talent. There is reason to hope in Jacksonville, and this time, perhaps, that hope may eventually give way to on-field results.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Josh Gordon Fallout

July 6th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Rory Parks

Following Josh Gordon‘s DWI arrest early Saturday morning, his $500 bond was posted by the man who was in the car with him at the time of the arrest, Haydn “Fats” Thomas, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio observes, Thomas is a convicted felon and “well-known hustler” in the Triangle region of North Carolina, which makes Gordon’s choice of traveling companions nearly as troubling as the DWI itself.

As far as the on-field fallout from Gordon’s latest incident, there are several items of note this morning:

Gordon, of course, was already facing a season-long suspension for his most recent violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, and his appeal hearing is set for late this month. As Florio notes in a different piece for Pro Football Talk, the DWI charge will technically have no impact on that hearing, as the league’s substance abuse policy creates a separate track for alcohol-related violations. However, Roger Goodell–or his designee–will certainly be less inclined to reduce the length of Gordon’s drug-related ban in the wake of the DWI. Furthermore, Gordon could face a separate suspension for Saturday’s arrest, which means that he is now not only more likely to miss all of 2014, but a portion of his 2015 season is in jeopardy as well.
Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald tweets that the Browns should still not cut ties with Gordon. The teams does not have to pay him while he is suspended, and not getting paid could be strong motivation to get clean.
Even before Gordon’s DWI arrest, Field Yates of ESPN.com (subscription required) discussed how the Browns might go about replacing him this season. Yates writes that the team should rely more heavily on slot options like Nate Burleson, Andrew Hawkins, and Jordan Cameron, as perimeter receivers like Miles Austin and Anthony Armstrong are big question marks at this point.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that Saturday’s arrest proves that departed GM Mike Lombardi was right to try and trade Gordon last season. Fitzgerald notes that Lombardi should have come down on his asking price.

Poll: Who Will Win The AFC South?

July 5th, 2014 at 8:24pm CST by Luke Adams

No NFL team in 2013 won its division by a more significant margin than the Colts, whose 11 regular-season victories were nearly as many as the combined total of 13 compiled by the other three teams in their division. On the surface, a seven-win Titans squad that didn’t noticeably improve this offseason shouldn’t pose a real threat to Indianapolis in 2014, and the 4-12 Jaguars and 2-14 Texans would both have to pull off massive turnarounds to challenge for the division crown.

Still, as betting site Bovada.lv shows, although the Colts head into 2014 as the frontrunners to win the AFC South again, they’re not massive favorites. Vegas’ oddsmakers appreciated the work done by the Texans this winter and spring — while the team didn’t make many substantial free agent additions, it added No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to a defensive line that already featured J.J. Watt. It’s safe to say Andrew Luck and other quarterbacks around the division aren’t looking forward to seeing those two fearsome pass rushers on the other side of the ball twice a season. This is also a Houston club that’s only a year removed from an 11-win season and seems poised for at least a moderate bounce back — the performance of new signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick may determine exactly how far the Texans can go.

The Titans, meanwhile, shouldn’t be overlooked, even though I think they’ll be hard-pressed to match even last year’s win total. A younger, more diverse backfield could easily be more productive than Chris Johnson was in his last season in Tennessee, and new coach Ken Whisenhunt has done good work with quarterbacks in the past — perhaps his influence will help Jake Locker exceed expectations in a contract year.

As for the Jags, they’re probably at least a year or two from making any real noise in the South, but the team made some nice, under-the-radar veteran additions in the offseason, including defensive ends Red Bryant and Chris Clemons, guard Zane Beadles, linebacker Dekoda Watson, defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, and running back Toby Gerhart. Like so many other teams, their fortunes will likely come down to quarterback play. While Chad Henne‘s upside is limited, No. 3 pick Blake Bortles could put more pressure on defenses if he gets a chance to play in his rookie year.

What do you think? Do any of the division’s other squads have a chance to unseat Indianapolis at the top of the AFC South this year, or will Luck and the Colts repeat?

Previously:
Who will win the AFC North?
Who will win the AFC West?

Largest 2014 Cap Hits By Team

July 5th, 2014 at 6:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier in the offseason, we took a look at the largest 2014 cap hits, by offensive and defensive position, breaking down the top five highest-paid players at each spot on the field for the coming season. Today, we’ll shift our focus to the biggest cap hits by team, attempting to get some insight into which clubs are using significant cap space on their best players and which clubs’ largest cap hits are more problematic.

Despite their lack of recent success, for instance, the Browns’ top two highest cap hits for the coming season suggest the team is managing its cap reasonably well. It’s hard to argue that offensive tackle Joe Thomas and cornerback Joe Haden aren’t the most important players on offense and defense, respectively, in Cleveland — both players play key positions, and their combined cap hit of about $24.4MM doesn’t break the bank.

A team like Jacksonville, on the other hand, has more questionable cap numbers atop its 2014 books. Although he has continued to pile up tackles and made his first Pro Bowl appearance last season, Paul Posluszny has posted subpar Pro Football Focus grades for two straight seasons, ranking 37th out of 55 qualified inside linebackers in 2013, per the site’s advanced metrics (subscription required). Meanwhile, tight end Marcedes Lewis is a solid pass catcher and run blocker, but he has averaged under 40 receptions with only eight total touchdowns over the last three years, and is one of just two players at his position who shows up on the list below. While the Jags still have plenty of cap space, and Posluszny’s and Lewis’ combined cap hit of $17.75MM isn’t exorbitant, it’s not surprising that the team is expected to finish below .500 in ’14, given its lack of star power.

Here’s the full list of the NFL’s largest 2014 cap hits by team, with the second-largest cap number for each team noted in parentheses:

Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT: $22.413MM (Matthew Stafford, QB: $15.82MM)
New York Giants: Eli Manning, QB: $20.4MM (Antrel Rolle, S: $9.25MM)
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger, QB: $18.895MM (Lawrence Timmons, LB: $11.816MM)
Buffalo Bills: Mario Williams, DE: $18.8MM (Marcell Dareus, DT: $6.493MM)
Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler, QB: $18.5MM (Brandon Marshall, WR: $9.375MM)
New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees, QB: $18.4MM (Jahri Evans, G: $11MM)
St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB: $17.61MM (Chris Long, DE: $14.9MM)
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, QB: $17.55MM (Clay Matthews, OLB: $10.944MM)
Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning, QB: $17.5MM (DeMarcus Ware, DE: $9.667MM)
Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, QB: $17.5MM (Justin Blalock, G: $7.66MM)
Miami Dolphins: Mike Wallace, WR: $17.25MM (Dannell Ellerbe, LB: $7.425MM)
San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers, QB: $16.667MM (Eric Weddle, S: $10.1MM)
Carolina Panthers: Charles Johnson, DE: $16.42MM (Greg Hardy, DE: $13.116MM)
Baltimore Ravens: Haloti Ngata, DL: $16MM (Joe Flacco, QB: $14.8MM)
Houston Texans: Andre Johnson, WR: $15.645MM (Johnathan Joseph, CB: $11.25MM)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT: $15.627MM (Vincent Jackson, WR: $12.432MM)
New England Patriots: Tom Brady, QB: $14.8MM (Logan Mankins, G: $10.5MM)
Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson, RB: $14.4MM (Everson Griffen, DE: $8.2MM)
Seattle Seahawks: Percy Harvin, WR: $13.4MM (Russell Okung, OT: $11.24MM)
Cleveland Browns: Joe Thomas, OT: $12.3MM (Joe Haden, CB: $12.128MM)
Dallas Cowboys: Brandon Carr, CB: $12.217MM (Tony Romo, QB: $11.773MM)
Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Bowe, WR: $12MM (Eric Berry, S: $11.62MM)
Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer, QB: $12MM (Calais Campbell, DL: $11.25MM)
New York Jets: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT: $11.699MM (Nick Mangold, C: $7.227MM)
Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, OLB: $11.455MM (Trent Williams, OT: $10.98MM)
Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy, RB: $9.7MM (Jason Peters, OT: $8.292MM)
Jacksonville Jaguars: Paul Posluszny, LB: $9.5MM (Marcedes Lewis, TE: $8.25MM)
Cincinnati Bengals: Geno Atkins, DT: $9MM (Leon Hall, CB: $8.7MM)
Indianapolis Colts: Robert Mathis, OLB: $8.75MM (Vontae Davis, CB: $6.25MM)
Tennessee Titans: Andy Levitre, G: $8.6MM (Jason McCourty, CB: $8.3MM)
Oakland Raiders: Matt Schaub, QB: $8MM (Tyvon Branch, S: $7.157MM)
San Francisco 49ers: Anthony Davis, OT: $7.532MM (Vernon Davis, TE: $7.343MM)

Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Extra Points: Titans, Jags, Graham, Broncos

July 5th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Titans have a number of veterans that are coming to the end of their contracts after 2014, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean gives his opinion of who the Titans should work to extend and who they should wait until after next season to decide on. Wyatt wants the team to extend Jurrell Casey and Brett Kern sooner rather than later, but asks the team to show patience with some of their other veteran players.

Here are a few other stories from around the NFL:

The Jaguars‘ pass rush is set to be much improved in 2014, and Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com is absolutely buying into they hype. His reasoning for believing in this unit is simple. The pass rush can’t get any worse, and the key additions should be able to make a difference immediately. Although Dekoda Watson only had three sacks in 60 games for the Buccaneers, the Jaguars believe he has unique pass-rushing skills, and Chris Clemons will be able to provide some pressure as well. While Red Bryant is not known as a sack artist, his contributions in the running game will put the team in better shape on passing downs, another area where they struggled recently.
While there has not been a lot of positivity surrounding Saints‘ tight end Jimmy Graham since losing his grievance regarding his franchise tag, Drew Brees hasn’t forgotten Graham’s value to the league, writes Julie Boudwin of NOLA.com.“Jimmy Graham has revolutionized the position,” said Brees. “He’s a guy who is so talented at so many things you know and obviously he’s a big part of our offense and I hope that they’re able to reach a long-term agreement here sooner than later. At the end of the day, this is part of the process and I think we all understand that.”
The Broncos had the best offense in the NFL by a wide margin in 2013, and the only pieces not returning this season are receiver Eric Decker who signed with the Jets, and tailback Knowshon Moreno who is now with the Dolphins. Even still, Sayre Bedinger of PredominantlyOrange.com has highlighted five dark horse candidates to impact the offense in 2014. His top five are tight ends Virgil Green and Gerell Robinson, rookie wideout Cody Latimer, and running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson.

NFC East Links: Melton, Eagles, Skins, Giants

July 5th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

If new Cowboy Henry Melton can match his career high of seven sacks in 2014, the team will more than likely pick up the final three years of his contract, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com in his mailbag. Picking up the rest of the deal will guarantee Melton $9MM in 2015.

Archer also discusses whether the Cowboys keep three of four tight ends on their active roster, and picks James Hanna as the odd man out if they only keep three. Hanna is the weakest blocker of the group, and the team has not been able to take advantage of his standout athleticism in his two years in Dallas.

He also highlights Bruce Carter, Justin Durant, and Kyle Wilber as the three players most likely to start at linebacker for the Cowboys’ defense in 2014.

Here are some more links from around the NFC East:

The Cowboys‘ have lost their players to the third most games due to injury over the last two seasons, totaling 133 games missed over that time period, writes Brandon George.of DallasNews.com. The team has employed more protective equipment during practices, and the use of two ProFlex stretching machines, two other stretching machines designed for the core and lower body, one World Cup skier’s plyometric apparatus, one Dynamic Edge skier’s machine, and a vibration machine in attempt to increase their players’ resistance to injuries.
The Eagles are better and deeper than they have been in years past, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. The addition of Malcolm Jenkins should provide consistency, and Nate Allen improved again last year after regression in years prior. Backup Earl Wolff has been working with Jenkins, and will find his way onto the field in certain packages and situations, or to spell the two starters.
Mosher also examined why the Eagles decided they didn’t need to get bigger on the defensive line this offseason, despite allowing success on the ground in their playoff loss to the Saints. Despite criticism of being too small, he notes that the unit was tenth in the league in rushing yards allowed, and were even better on a per carry basis, where they ranked fourth.
Chris Chester struggled in 2013 as the Redskins‘ right guard, but he is still the frontrunner to start in 2014, writes Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. However, third-round pick Spencer Long will challenge for the starting spot, and backup Josh LeRibeus could be in the mix as well.
The Redskins have many issues they need to improve on special teams, but maybe none more than their touchback percentage, writes Chris Russell of ESPN980.com (via Twitter). According to Russell, Kai Forbath produced a touchback on only 24.6% of his kickoffs in 2013. The league average number was 48.8%.
There is disagreement over who will return punts for the Giants in 2014, but fortunately they have a number of promising options according to the writers at Giants.com. Michael Eisen sees the job as Rueben Randle‘s to lose, as he performed well in that role in 2013, although he is not a home run threat. John Schmeelk envisions Odell Beckham Jr. taking over as a rookie, as he displayed explosive ability to do so at LSU. Finally, Dan Salmone chose the 5’5″ Trindon Holliday to be the big play threat the Giants have been missing in their special teams.

Josh Gordon Arrested In North Carolina

July 5th, 2014 at 2:15pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon was arrested early this morning in Raleigh, North Carolina under suspicion of driving while impaired, reports Matt Anderson of WKYC in Cleveland (via Twitter). Anderson has been following the story all morning, via a series of tweets as more information emerged from the situation.

Gordon was already facing a year-long suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. His appeal hearing was just set for late July, but talks were in the works for a reduced suspension to be agreed upon between the NFL and NFLPA. Those talks may be in jeopardy after this latest incident.

Our own Dallas Robinson took a look at the Gordon situation as a whole last night, and the different outcomes and possibilities that could be associated with it. Those plans could be further effected by this latest incident for the young receiver.

Despite missing the first two games of the season due to a drug-related suspension, the 23-year old receiver caught 87 passes last season, for a league leading 1,646 receiving yards, and added nine touchdowns. He was named as one of the two All-Pro wide receivers, alongside Lions superstar Calvin Johnson. His 1,646 receiving yards is the tenth greatest figure in league history, and his 117.6 receiving yards per game is the sixth best mark in NFL history.

Redskins Notes: Griffin, Riley, Paulsen

July 5th, 2014 at 1:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Redskins’ success in 2014 will be based on what version of their star quarterback shows up, writes Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. Steinberg believes that if Robert Griffin III gives a performance resembling his 2012, then the team will be a contender. If he plays the way he did last year, the team would likely fall out of contention early. Redskins’ offensive coordinator Sean McVay believes Griffin will be as good as he was as a rookie two years ago. “I don’t think there’s any question: he looks explosive,” said McVay. “He looks like he is exactly what he was in the 2012 season. I think people underestimate when you have a brace on your knee how much that truly restricts you….So I think being able to take that off, he looks extremely explosive.”

Here are some other notes from the Redskins offseason:

The Redskins will have to make some interesting roster decisions come August, and John Keim of ESPN.com takes a few guesses as to what they will do. He predicts the secondary starters to be DeAngelo Hall and David Amerson at corner, with Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather at safety. Keim also sees it likely that the team will keep four running backs and one fullback on the roster.
Despite a down 2013, inside linebacker Perry Riley has something to prove going forward, writes Keim. Keim writes that he needs to improve his zone coverage, and continue to be stout but more consistent against the run.
Although Logan Paulsen sympathizes with his fellow tight end Jimmy Graham, he wants to be very clear that fair or unfair, he believes Graham is indeed a tight end, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.He likens the Saints’ star to his teammate Jordan Reed. He says that while both are playmakers and deserve to be paid for their production, Reed still attends tight end meetings, practices with tight ends, and lines up in place of the tight end in most formations.

NFC Links: Suh, Seahawks, Giants, Packers

July 5th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Matt Feminis

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who identifies as an introvert, spoke with the Oregonian’s John Canzano for a piece about the All-Pro’s image “reconstruction.” Suh has taken criticism for spending his offseason in Portland instead of Detroit, but explained his reasoning: “I’m there when everyone reports. I like being in my own niche and by myself. I have my trainers here. I get 1-on-1 attention. I have every ounce of this campus to myself. My coaches have been here. I’ve probably talked with our head coach more than just about any player on the team. People here don’t care about celebrity. I can walk around and do whatever I want. I’m a normal Portland person.”

Here’s some additional NFC links:

Several Seahawks veterans, prominent ones, could be entering their final season with the team because of impending salary-cap implications, particularly with Russell Wilson‘s inevitable contract extension soon to hit the books, writes ESPN’s Terry Blount.
The NFC East position groups are being broken down by Jordan Raanan and Eliot Shorr-Parks on NJ.com. Their latest post examines the division’s tight ends. They agree the Giants have the worst tight end group in the division, and Shorr-Parks goes so far as to say, “They may just have the worst tight ends in the entire NFL, let alone the NFC East.”
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky discussed the Packers’ secondary depth, including seemingly forgotten man Davon House, who has had an impressive offseason.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ NFC North rival Bears are still trying to sort out their safety position. “Every spot on the safety depth chart registers as a battle to watch because right now every position — including the starting jobs — is up for grabs,” says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
There’s room on the 49ers roster for 2014 fourth-rounder Bruce Ellington and 2013 fourth-rounder Quinton Patton, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
Falcons reserve receiver/core special teamer Drew Davis will be sidelined for six weeks after foot surgery, reports Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Davis was placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would miss about three weeks of training camp.

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